Re: Funny? I think so.
 

I wouldn't cut up and outline the "joke", sorry, but if I did the first point is that the Taliban did try to "do business" with the Jew.

Re: You (all) lie!
 

Gino comes home from school one day, very proud. "Papa, Papa, today we recited the alphabet, and the teacher said I was the smartest in the whole class because I got all the way up to Q." "Very good, Gino," says his Papa. "Do you know why you're so smart? It's because we're Italian."

The next day, Gino comes home from school, again very proud. "Papa, Papa, today we did numbers, and the teacher said I was the smartest in the whole class because I got all the way up to 30." "Very good, Gino," says his Papa. "And do you know why you're so smart? It's because we're Italian."

The third day, Gino comes home from school and looks very troubled. "Papa, today the boys in class were showing each other their weiners, and mine was the biggest by far. Is that because we're Italian?"

"No, Gino," says his Papa. "It's because you're 22."

Re: Funny? I think so.
 

Because he needed someone whose identity would provoke an irrational reaction that could be cleverly exploited as retribution. I guess it could have been a Red Sox fan and a Yankee fan, but that doesn't benefit from the "sneaky" or "clever" stereotype, which is the source of the attempt at humor. Which is where the problem is in his having said it.

If this another bumpersticker situations? He showed poor judgment with the joke. But was it so poor as to be unforgiveable? Not to me, but I'd be more than willing to listen to what the Israeli ambassador has to say.

Re: You (all) lie!
 

italy and poland decided they were sick of being the brunt of all the jokes, so they'll have a football game; the loser is the "dumb nationality" for ever after.

it was a close game- tied zero zero with 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter. then, on a track right next to the stadium, the 4:20 Amtrak express came through and blew its whistle. The poles all went home thinking the game over.

4 plays later the Italians scored and won!

Re: Funny? I think so.
 

I agree that the joke was stupid politically, and that it is dumb to make such jokes if you have any sort of diplomatic role. I think that's pretty fucking obvious, so fucking obvious that that's not the topic I raised when I posted about it. I'm not arguing about it with you because I don't have anything interesting to say on that point that others haven't said, and because I don't see my role here as kneejerk disagreement with whatever you say. You obviously have a different view.

You can kiss my ass for suggesting that I have some baggage about the Jewish people. Seriously. You should stick to doing a shitty job of construing what I actually post instead of throwing around the suggestion that I'm anti-Semitic -- it's baseless and undeserved and I think I deserve better than that from you. Unlike you, I've explained exactly what about the joke turns on the Jew in it, and since you seem to be incapable of responding in that sort of specific way, you might instead just shut up instead tossing spurious accusations of bigotry.

Re: Funny? I think so.
 

I'm going to stop, because I think less of everyone who defends this guy, meanwhile I think more of Sidd for at least stating the obvious, and all of that makes me sad.

here's my last point- I didn't read the blog Ty cited that fully expressed his opinion, but I assume those who have posted in defense did- you are reading an apologist using his ethnic background to give cover- you look silly doing it-

Re: Funny? I think so.
 

well, help me, cuz I ain't as smart as you- when you said he should not have apologized what did you mean?

Re: Funny? I think so.
 

True, but when poking fun at someone you often make light of them, too.

And I should really say "possibly true." I don't know any Taliban. I have known a couple of muslims who, while generally good people (except for one who as an asshole in all respects), had nasty anti-Semitic streaks. And they all tied back to the "greedy/cheating" stereotype. The "babykiller" response was more specific to Israel than to Jews generally.




I think that's an over-the-top reaction. A dumb joke to make, and a lapse in judgment. I wouldn't go much further than that, based on this joke alone (and I would go much further for a Repub, either, based on that joke alone. I already know you will say that I'm lying about this.).

Re: Funny? I think so.
 

Yes, and the moment the Jew did anything but say "here is precisely the thing that you asked for, sir," the Taliban said "you cheating Jew!, etc. etc." instead of saying -- "um, why a tie?"

So, yeah -- he refused to do business with the Jew. He was willing to take some (free?) water when he was thirsty, that's about it.

Re: You (all) lie!
 

I think I now understand why you've always thought the scorekeeping thing was funny.

Re: Funny? I think so.
 

Hank, that's a pretty fucked-up thing to say.



The joke was (1) funny and (2) not anti-Semitic. I can see some people getting angry over it. I can also see some people getting angry over the South Park episode with Mohammed in a bear costume. I can also see some people remaining angry for years on end because of a bumpersticker they seem to have seen several times. Not agreeing with those people doesn't make you anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, or anti-wackadoo-from-Detroit.

Re: Funny? I think so.
 

What's weird here is that you are trying to insult me, sort of, because I was willing to state the obvious in an effort to forestall another Hank "all Dems refuse to say anything bad about Dems" rant.

Re: Funny? I think so.
 

And what's sad here is that I hit a six-fecta because Atticus is sitting at his computer desperately trying to come up with a Rumanian joke.

Re: Funny? I think so.
 

Yesterday, I got sucked into a discussion about people getting angry about a fucking grilled cheese sandwich. People will get angry, and justifiably so from their own point of view, about pretty much anything.

Re: Funny? I think so.
 

i don't get why people feel comfortable saying whether something is or is not anti-Jewish. (anti-semetic would extend to their Arab neighbors.) it strikes me that people are also too comfortable saying things about how Jews think and feel-

but put that aside for a moment, a guy whose job it is to convince Jews and their neighbors to each trust the other and give in should not make a joke where the Jew (taking your analysis) fooled the Muslim. or do you think the Taliban is distant enough from the Palistinians?